Reticles commonly known as photomasks are devices that may be used for manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) devices using a process commonly known as photolithography. Each reticle generally includes a plate having transparent and opaque or semi-opaque regions that form a pattern when placed within a light beam. The opaque regions may be formed of any material, such as a chrome metal absorbing film deposited on a fused silica plate, that exhibits opacity to the wavelength of the light within the light beam.
Many IC devices are typically manufactured at the sub-micron feature size level. That is, the feature size, which generally represents a dimensional characteristic of components such as transistors that are formed using the IC manufacturing process, may be less than in micrometer in size. When fabricating IC devices at this feature size, airborne particle such as dust, debris, or condensation may become a problem. To solve this problem, pellicles have been implemented that overlay the reticle to inhibit contact of these airborne particles with the surface of the reticle.